


Familiar Roads

by carolinecrane



Category: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-06
Updated: 2012-05-06
Packaged: 2017-11-04 22:47:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/399043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carolinecrane/pseuds/carolinecrane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He always figured things would go back to the way they used to be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Familiar Roads

It's been awhile since they worked together alone.  It's just as well, because things have been weird between them for awhile now and Nick's not sure what to do about it.  He's been telling himself for a long time that he doesn't _want_ to do anything about it, that it's better this way.  Less complicated, because they still have to work together and he's always said that workplace romances are a bad idea.

They always have been, anyway, and he's been telling himself since they broke up that this one wasn't any different.  Because yeah, he likes Greg and sometimes he misses him a little, but they work together even more now than they used to, and it's already awkward enough.  Except that the truth is he misses Greg a _lot_ , and every time he thinks about the way things fell apart he wonders why they let it happen.  

It would make more sense if there had been a big scene, but that's not the way it happened.  Mostly they just sort of…drifted.  They tried not to let it happen, but working separate shifts got to be way too hard and after awhile they were back to sleeping at their own places.  And Nick knows it's his fault, because if he'd just asked Greg to give up his apartment and move into the house full-time when he had the chance…but he never did, and eventually Greg just stopped showing up. 

And maybe things would have gotten back to normal once they were back on the same shift, if it wasn't for the reason Grissom finally got Ecklie to put the team back together.  He still shudders involuntarily at the memory, pushing it aside and focusing on the crime scene he's supposed to be working.  There's evidence to be collected, after all, and if he doesn't get his head back in the game Greg's going to notice. 

As soon as he thinks it he looks up to find Greg watching him, lips sort of pressed together like he's been watching for awhile.  Like he can read Nick's mind, and the truth is Nick wouldn't be surprised if he could.  He knew how Nick felt about him before even Nick did, after all, and he always used to know just when to push Nick and when to back off and let it go.  But that was back when they were a _them_ , and working a case together…well, it's sort of similar, but it's not the same.

"You okay?" Greg asks, and Nick nods before he turns back to his kit.  

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Greg doesn't answer that, proving that he still knows when not to push.  The thought makes Nick's heart clench just for a second, and he shakes his head and tells himself to get over it.  They had their chance, and if Greg wanted to pick up where they left off he would have said something.  He's never been shy about going after what he wants, after all, and anyway, he's the one who stopped coming around.

For awhile neither of them says anything; they're both focused on the crime scene, and when Nick does look up again it's to wave Greg over for a closer look at some trace.  "What's that look like to you?"

Greg leans in close for a second, squinting at the small pile of gray dust before he snaps a picture.  "Not sure.  Ash, maybe?"

"Was our vic a smoker?"

"No cigarettes in the house that I've seen.  And it doesn't smell like smoke in here."

Nick nods and reaches for an envelope, carefully scooping the powder inside before he seals and labels it.  "So maybe our perp left something behind."

He drops the envelope in his kit as Greg goes back to snapping pictures of the scene, watching the flex of Greg's shoulders under his vest as he leans in to get a picture of something at the bottom of the stairs.  As soon as he realizes what he's doing Nick shakes his head and turns away, packing up the rest of his stuff and clearing his throat.  "You about done?"

"Yeah," Greg answers, glancing over at him with that same quizzical expression and Nick is not going to blush.  Instead he picks up his kit and heads for the front door, waiting until Greg gathers his own stuff before he steps outside and tells the cop on duty that they're finished.  He leads the way to his truck, tossing his kit in the back and waiting for Greg to climb in before he turns on the ignition.

They're a few miles out of the city, and Nick thinks about turning on the radio just to break the silence.  Only they never did manage to find a radio station they could both agree on, and Nick hasn't listened to any of the CDs they compromised on since they broke up.  If they even did break up; they just sort of _stopped_ , and he's starting to think that's even worse.

"Do you remember what today is?" Greg asks, his voice too loud in the silence and Nick takes his eyes off the road long enough to look at him.  When he does Greg's looking right back, still serious and he's been wearing that expression a lot lately.  Ever since he started working the field, really, but even more since…well, since that thing Nick doesn't like to talk about.

"What are you talking about?"

"Two years ago today.  You asked me if I wanted to get some breakfast and I never made it home."

Nick doesn't need any details, because he remembers their first date vividly.  Remembers kissing Greg for the first time, hands moving everywhere to try to touch all of him at once.  He remembering pressing Greg up against the wall, peeling his clothes off and thinking the entire time that it was crazy, that they shouldn't be doing this because they worked together, and if he slept with Greg someone was going to find out.  But he did it anyway, and after that first time he knew it was worth the risk.

And yeah, the sex was fantastic, but it was more than that.  It was _Greg_ , and as it turned out, Nick had been in love with him for years before he even knew it.

So he hasn't forgotten, but he wasn't exactly paying attention to the calendar, and he's surprised Greg remembers the date.  "Really?"

"Yeah," Greg answers, smile sort of sad and Nick wants to lean over and kiss that sadness away.  Except that he's driving, and even if he wasn't, he doesn't have the right anymore.  "I remember because it was right after I got out of the hospital, and I figured you were just taking pity on me."

Which isn't that far from the truth, really.  Not that it counted as pity, exactly, but if Greg hadn't been caught in the lab explosion Nick might still be making excuses not to ask him out.  Seeing Greg wheeled out of the lab half-dead on that gurney just reminded him of how short life really was, and he promised himself if Greg came through it okay that Nick was finally going to find out once and for all if he was interested.  He might not have planned on sleeping with Greg that first morning, but then again, there was no sense wasting any more time.

Except that they've been wasting time for months now, and there's no excuse for it, because they've both been reminded plenty of times since then just how quickly life can change on them.

"Greg," he says at the same time Greg says "look", and he laughs and glances over at Greg again.  The polite thing to do would be to let Greg say whatever's on his mind; he brought up their first date for a reason, after all, and there's a part of Nick that wants to know what he's getting at.  But there's a lot on Nick's mind too, and he's pretty sure if he doesn't say it now he'll lose his nerve.

"Listen, G, I don't know what happened," he says, grateful that he's driving so he can focus his attention on the road instead of Greg's expression.  "I thought we had a good thing going."

"We did.  I mean, I thought so too.  It was pretty great until Ecklie came along and messed everything up.  But after that we barely saw each other and it felt sort of weird, letting myself into your house like I lived there."

"So you just stopped coming over?"

Greg shrugs and turns back to stare out at the road, and Nick's heart skips a beat at the set of his jaw.  "Yeah, well, you never asked why I didn't come around anymore, so I figured you were okay with it."

Which means it's all Nick's fault, because all he had to do was _tell_ Greg he missed him and they wouldn't be having this conversation.  And he could tell Greg that he'd just figured they'd pick things up once they were back on the same shift, but they both know that's a lie.  At least he never actually did anything to make it happen, and that's as good as saying he wasn't interested. 

"I'm sorry, G," he says instead, gripping the steering wheel a little harder so he won't do anything stupid like reach out and touch Greg.  "I should have…I wanted you around."

Greg looks back over at him, expression still guarded but Nick thinks he might see a little hope in his eyes.  At least he hopes he does; he's not sure if he can handle screwing this up for good.  "Good to know."

"Listen," Nick says, heart pounding harder against his chest and he's sure Greg can hear it, "do you want to grab some breakfast after shift?  Maybe talk some more?"

"Like a date?"

"Yeah, like a date."

"Okay," Greg answers, and this time when he smiles it reaches his eyes.  "I think I can fit you in."

Nick laughs and turns his attention back to the road, not bothering to hide his smile as they reach the lab and pull into the parking lot.  This date might not turn out like their first one, but that's okay.  Maybe that's even better, because they have a lot of talking to do and there are things he should have said to Greg a long time ago.  So he doesn't really mind if they take it slow; he'll take it any way Greg wants to, as long as they do it together.

**Author's Note:**

> Read the sequel [here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/399046).

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [untitled](https://archiveofourown.org/works/399046) by [carolinecrane](https://archiveofourown.org/users/carolinecrane/pseuds/carolinecrane)




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